Zenit D

I was curious as to if anyone has used a Zenit D? I saw one in Princelle's book and thought it looked cool, with its flat top and no bulges. Don

ZORKIE'S Survive

Not used but seen one in reality. Kind of a mix between Zenits 7 and 16 so even if anyone would dare to use one it wouldn't be the most nicest user.

Smena rules

Hi Don,
I have a Zenit-D in complete working condition and have used it. It is a very nice camera to use once you realize that you have to use your second finger to release the shutter rather than your first finger. If you are used to Kiev or Contax, this is an easy adjustment. The camera fits nicely in your hands, the viewfinder is bright with an easy to use micro-grid focusing. The flat top and lack of bulges make it very much like a rangefinder of similar rectangular design and the camera feels smaller than it actually is. The shutter is not as quiet as I would like, but the automatic exposure feature works very well, with accurate exposures. The lens is sharp and it is a pleasure to use, in my opinion.
The camera is very rare with only 63 examples ever finished, and only a few known to be in working condition. For this reason, I have only used it a few times, but with great results and an enjoyable shooting experience. It does not feel like either the Zenit 7 or Zenit 16 ... very much different!

Regards, Bill

Thankyou for our responses, I just thought it would be fun to use especially without the prism hump...he he Don

ZORKIE'S Survive

And of those 63 at least three have been / are in Finland!
So it feels different to 7/16 to use, although it shares same kind of oddities in control placing & looks? I didn't dare to use th eone that I did see, as yo may well guess.

Smena rules

Hi Juhani,

Ah! Of course so many of these beautiful cameras are in Finland ... they go there because Finland is the beautiful place to go!

Well, yes, it feels much different to use. Some of the control placements are similar, but not really the same. The shutter release on Zenit-D is easier than on Zenit-7 and causes less camera movement, in my opinion ... and the shutter release is a bit higher on the Zenit-D than on Zenit 16, which is more comfortable to me.

Also, in general, it has a different feel because of the shape which is exactly rectangular. For me, when I am making photographs, the camera is best when it just disappears and all I am seeing is the image through the viewfinder ... so a direct connection between my brain image and the subject in reality. Hard to explain, but in some ways I don't like the cameras much because they get into the way of my vision when making the photograph. So I like it when the camera is sort of 'invisible'. The Zenit D has this feeling, with the exception that the plastic textured covering is not soft, but is hard plastic and so is rough on the fingers. So I don't like it that I am feeling my fingers holding the camera so much ... not soft at all!
It may be different for me than for some photographers because I am never making photographs in a hurried style or photo-journalist way. I am more an art photographer, trying to capture my inner visions. Where the controls are placed rarely bothers me, once I have learned where they are. But, for this reason, I would not be a good all-around camera reviewer.
So, I like Zenit D in this sense an the viewfinder is very nice... like other SLRs of the time ... except the shape of the camera is more like a rangefinder and less obtrusive than Zenit 16 and even Zenit 7.
I wonder how many Zenit D cameras are left in the world?

Regards, Bill

Well, they did come to Finland because we were the gateway to USSR. My good FSU-collector friend is a now retired finnish army officer, and in the days of USSR he had a permanent Visa & travelled there very often. And naturally got to know the right places & persons. In that time there wasn't many tourists there, and thos that were was finns, so markets for special cameras were bad, and a finn with USD, nylons and bubble gum in his pocket got everything he wanted...

And I can see what you mean. Camera must be a part of your body, extension to your hands & eyes. There has been many good cameras that I didn't like because they weren't. Eg Kiev/Contax: just can't get my long finger on the focus wheel comfortably.

Special thanks on giving the information on D, hopefully one day I will get mine. My collector friend is getting old and selling a lot away. So far only dull pieces like the Popeda-122 as the real jewels are saved to the end!

Smena rules

Juhani,

I hope you will get a Zenit D soon! What is a Popeda-122 ... and, should I want to have one!

Regards, Bill

Bill,

If I understand correctly, Juhani was talking about Zenit-122 commemorative camera "50 Years of Victory" (Pobeda in Russian) ...

Regards,
Aidas

Exactly. Popeda is well known word in Finland, as after the WW2 it was very popular. We were a poor country, without foreign currency to spend for cars so we traded wood for GAZ-M20-Popeda cars, and british cars (which ever is worse). It took us about 15y to get the economics back to normal, which means 60ies was a time when people could afford extras. Like Zenits and non-USSR cars. Helsinki Olympics in mid-50ies brought us Checker cabs and Coca-Cola!

Smena rules

Using the second finger can't be worse than all left hand on the exaktas cameras. What I was struck by was by the lines or rather cosmetics. Don

ZORKIE'S Survive